The Curses of Magic
by KatrinaLinden
Summary: Over a century has passed since the Wither King was created. Magic now rules the lands of Minecraftia, and the world is very different to what it was. Villages and towns dot the land, almost in peace. Yet two threats lie in the future of the country of Thait, one of men and one of magic. (Yogbox based)
1. Wither Memories

**Well hello there. I'm actually writing, again. Seeing I have far too many stories for the time I put into them, I have created a poll on my profile. If you want to see more of a certain story, vote!**

**Anyway. This is based off my Yogbox map, and yes, I really have a ****_lot _****of horses. If you like it, review and tell me what you want more of, if not, tell me what I'm doing wrong. **

I loved flying. The wind picked up my hair and threw it around the sky, Divonna's wings stroked the air gently, almost silently flying us across the field.

"Down you go, girl," I whispered, smiling as I leaned into her neck. Her mane was silky, white strands of hair rolling down her neck.

We landed with barely a jolt in the short grass, and I pulled Divonna's reins, turning her to the western stables. The stables were groups of three wooden structures, connected to the Town Hall. I shoved open all four gates, Divonna passing easily through. I dismounted, careful to avoid her wing as I slid down her side. Closing the gates behind me, I walked around the fences out front of the hall, forcing myself not to run inside. Over a month of living here, and I still felt a chill each night. I ignored the other villagers, they always let me be at dusk, sharing my fear. The doors were carefully shut, and I climbed up the ladder, ducking my head to refrain from hitting it on the low ceiling. My room was the hall's attic, almost a pyramid in structure.

Too tired to bother sorting, I stashed my day's inventory in the nearest chest, almost falling as I crossed the step to my bed. The second I closed my eyes, I felt myself drift away from unconsciousness, already dreaming of daylight.

(O}======§‹›‹›‹›‹›‹›‹›‹›‹›‹›‹›‹›

When I woke, there was a dove singing from outside, its voice reminding me of an owl. I checked the time on my clock, which was in the chest beside my bed. The dial had the sun directly in the centre, blue taking over the black. It was dawn.

Happily, I kicked back my blankets, grabbing two pumpkins from a chest opposite the chimney. The fireplace was one of the many things the builder and I argued about. We tried lighting it before, and my attic-room was nearly burnt to a crisp. I had asked him to remove it, and he refused to, saying that it was a pretty touch to the place. Obviously, he hadn't seen the ghastly lob of stone in the attic.

But anyway, I was far too excited to hate Mr William Smith, annoying as he was. I held the pumpkins close to my chest, almost sliding down the ladder. In my haste I knocked into the town Baker, George, who spilled his pile of bread over the floor.

"Sorry!" I cried, though not feeling it as I rushed past.

He grinned, and I could hear him muttering "must be to do with the horses."

Everyone in my town, Port Royale, knew and laughed at my obsession with my horses. They preferred to stay as close to their little town as possible, though they sometimes wandered to the nearby villagers for trade. It was I who wandered miles on my steeds, always bringing back some brilliant new thing. My latest acquirement was a golden-maned unicorn. He had white fur, the even paler than Divonna's.

I had found him wandering near the Western village. They had no name for themselves, when I had asked Aruthi, he merely asked why they would need one. The village had been there for centuries, they said, and though they were small in number, they had every wisdom of their ancestors.

It was Aruthi, the librarian, who had told me of the great creature that was the spawn of a unicorn and pegasus. He said the light in the parents was great, but it was countered by their child. They were formidable, and a perfect steed if I was to protect the town from any attacker.

As I turned to the western stables, Xavier and Divonna looked at me, clueless. "Come on guys!" I placed a rope around both of their necks, gently pulling on the other end. I opened the stable gates and the two rushed out, obediently following me to a rather large area, cut off from the town by four-meter high walls of cobblestone. Two gates stood side by side in the entrance, just enough to stop a horse getting through. I coaxed the two inside, giving them a pumpkin each. After gleefully caressing Xavier's golden mane, I ran out of the makeshift stable, carefully closing the gates behind me.

Seeing I couldn't go near Divonna for a day, I was stuck in the grassland biome, other areas being too far to travel by foot.

"Help!" Screamed a hysterical voice, feminine and high pitched. A woman with honey blonde hair was trying to evade the claws of a massive cat. It's fur was short and dull, a pale yellow. Grabbing my iron sword, I ran at the cat, slicing through it's side. The creature turned from the woman, claws reaching for me. Stepping back, I wildly swung my weapon through the air, feeling resistance in the form of the lion's body. A horrible roar vibrated from it's lungs, followed by a whimper. It fell to the ground, defeated, and I sheathed my sword, disturbed.

"Creatures like these shouldn't have to be killed."

"They have to be, Erka, or we won't survive."

I turned away from the woman, who I recognised to be Susan Miller. "What I mean to say is they shouldn't be alive in the first place." Not staying to hear the reply, I stormed to Aruthi's village, hoping to get away from mine.

(O}======§‹›‹›‹›‹›‹›‹›‹›‹›‹›‹›‹›

"What really set it off, I reckon, was Nether portals. People were able to go into the Nether, bringing back things that did not belong in the overworld."

"Ok," I muttered, nodding. "And the Nether is...?"

"The opposite of the Overworld. Where there's water here, there's lava there. Monsters instead of animals, fire instead of grass."

"Wow," I breathed, looking at Aruthi in wonder. "Who would want to go to such a place?"

"In the nether lived creatures we call Wither Skeletons. They were the 'people' of the Nether, if you want to call them that. They built massive fortresses of purplish-red stone, which we named Netherbrick."

"And the fortresses had something important?"

"It was the Skeletons themselves who were important, and their steeds." Aruthi winked at me, and I felt my face go warm. Everyone in sight of my town had seen Divonna and I flying.

"Anyway," continued the librarian, "The Wither Skeletons rode on creatures called Blazes, which were practically made of fire and a head. They had three limbs, which they used to fly. These limbs were the main ingredient of brewing stands."

Ah. Now I understood. Brewing stands created potions. A century or so ago, people had begun making splash potions. The thin glass bottles of the meant they could be thrown to get the potion effects. Thing was, the liquid stayed there almost indefinitely, and it did weird stuff to the mobs who came near.

"Wither Skeletons... Did they have a role in the creation on the Wither King?"

Aruthi nodded, his mouth turned down into a frown. "The skulls of the Skeletons were the main ingredient in creating it, alongside soul sand from the Nether. As you well know, the Wither King was the biggest part of the End, as it could destroy entire towns with ease, and every person, animal or monster it killed, strength was gained."

I nodded, sighing. "It's getting late. I'd best get back to Royale."

Aruthi stood, opening the door for me as I left his library/house.

"I'll see you later." Looking at the now setting sun, I began to sprint back home.

**The names of my villagers are pretty damn dull, huh? If you want to give me any OC's, there's a normal NPC village, an english-style village (Royale) and an Indian village nearby. Millinaire (or however you spell it) rocks ^_^**


	2. Fault

**Hello guys! Oh. My. These new Evanesence songs are the best birthday present I could ever give myself *Mentally dances to oceans*. Were I not too lazy to bother with clothing, I'd probably be gothic :P**

**Aaaaanyway. I am now a year older than I was! Well, not really, but officially! Yaay! **

Sunset was always a scary time for me. Those in the town who didn't have a home stayed downstairs, sleeping on the benches or huddled on the floor. I swore to make them some beds as soon as I got the wool. I firmly shut the doors to the town hall, and from the windows I saw citizens doing the same. I silently cursed the night, and the monsters that bred in it.

"Don't worry, Ekra, the sun will rise." I ignored the woman, not even bothering to see who she was. I turned to the back of the town hall, where the ladders to my room were.

"Sleep well," I muttered, climbing up and once again, almost tripping over the steps (I needed to fix that) to my bed.

(O}======§‹›‹›‹›‹›‹›‹›‹›‹›‹›‹›‹›

I woke to the frenzied twittering of birds. I loved birds, especially doves, with their soothing hoots calming me like nothing else.

The calmness of the morning was broken by villagers muttering beneath me. Sighing, I climbed from the warmth of my bed, slinking down the ladders. Tearing a piece of bread apart, I walked across the hall, sighing. My elation from yesterday had dissolved with the setting sun, and memories of my father had sunk in. Everything in this accursed town reminded me of him. Hefting a pickaxe onto my back and pocketing my few Deniers, I walked out of the building and began running, avoiding the open mines and caves that dotted Royale's East. As soon as I had skirted the worse, I began to flat-out sprint, silently yelling at my legs to go _faster._

I was so absorbed in my body that I didn't see Jyoti as she wandered into her village's fort.

"Ekra?" she cried, jumping aside as I nearly crashed into her. Her accent pronounced my name as Ek-a-ra, sort of. She brushed non-existent dirt off her pink sari, the cloth's gold hem twinkling in the sunlight.

She looked up at me and instantly took in my miserable expression. "Oh, come in child." She embraced me, her silk clothes shrouding me from memories. Gently holding my shoulders, I let the chief's wife steer me inside the Quila, seating me down in an empty room.

After I had cried my heart out, and was reduced to sobbing quietly, Jyoti rubbed my back, gently unlocking my sore muscles.

"Ekra, in no way are you a bad person. You're a wonderful girl. What happened to your father is not your fault. Don't look for blame, carry his name with pride. It'll get better."

I looked up at her, disbelief filling my torn heart. "Does it really? How would you know?"

Her pained smile told me all I needed to know.

(O}======§‹›‹›‹›‹›‹›‹›‹›‹›‹›‹›‹›

The red and white sails slackened. "Great," I muttered, groaning as I shoved at the tiller, which creaked reluctantly. The sails swung around, catching the breeze and pushing us onwards. Snoring could be heard from above and behind me, Kamiko was slung across the crow's nest, one arm hanging over the edge.

Smirking, I peered out across the horizon. A jolt went from he heart and up my throat. Sand and dirt, piled up by the current, formed a gentle bay. A forest grew off in the distance, tall oak trees standing proudly.

The ground rose into a hill, shielding whatever was behind it from sight.

"Land!" I yelled, so loud my throat stung. Five men rushed onto the deck, fighting for place at the stern. "Guys, calm down," I scoffed, watching them behave like hungry dogs begging for food. The bay was shallow, I wouldn't be able to sail far in.

"Get ready for a swim," I muttered, expertly steering the ship as far as I dared. Grabbing a block of iron tied to a rope, I tossed it out of the boat, tightening the rope until the boat was still.

Ignoring the cold weather, I leaped off the side, followed by the five men and four other women. Ten of us, ten madmen rebelling against the Shukun...

We soon reached the shore, all of us able swimmers. Shaking the droplets from my short hair, I ran to the forest edge, ignoring my soaked clothes. A few pigs wandered through the undergrowth, ignoring me. The hill was rather steep, the kind where you have to grab plants whilst climbing. Hauling myself up, I stopped short. "Holy crap."

Three towns, as different as possible, sat in the grasslands. To my left a little sprawled a pile of white buildings, occasionally with wooden roofs. To the right, and almost out of sight, small wooden houses and farms sheltered under the shadow of a stone-walled fort. A massive blood-red tower was further up the hill, just the sight of it giving me the creeps. Between everything was a close packed town, blonde and brown-haired villagers milling around the area. I was taken aback at how they started their day, I had forgotten what it was like to live like this.

One figure stood out in the mid town, dark red hair the colour of dried blood. Light iron glittered in the sun, a curve of the steel from the shoulder to mid-back. The pickaxe seemed tied onto the person's back by a wide strap.

Not noticing me, the figure began to run, long legs leaping over and around mines. He or she was fast, amazingly so.

"What are you staring at Sic?" I turned away, looking up at Kamiko, who, as I reminded him, had no right to tease me for being distracted.

"You cleaned the drool off your shirt yet Kam?" He huffed and turned away.

"Perfect! cried Mai, arms outstretched to show what she'd seen. An area of stone, almost a circle, and nearly completely flat, lay just meters away from the hill. Flat land dominated the area. A perfect place to build.

"We'll survive. We'll stay free." Utterly oblivious to my relief, Kam rushed down the hill, joining the others in cutting wood.

**Oooh. New character. Many thinks- really Kat? Thinks?- Many thanks to Sicomba for the wonderful OC, he will be a great addition to my story and plot. So I desperately need Hindi names, and any japanese and english Oc's are welcome. Sicomba sparked a really good idea for me, you won't all be getting main characters XD.**

**Please review. If you fav or follow me and not review I will hunt you down. And I desperately need more poll voters, as 4 people are in no world a good show of public opinion.**

**Anyway. Good bah!**


	3. Neglect

**Hello people! Here's another chapter of this story. I really have little to say here, except that I'm currently in a double period of math. I totally did not spend two hours writing. Of course not. **

**So read, review, and favourite. I'm continuing to try and get stories out asap. If anyone specifically wants a particular story updated, PM me.**

Even before my father came to this land, the Quila village had resided by the hills. They were as different from Royale as Aruthi's. Instead of wood-and-stone buildings, they lived in houses made from mud brick. They adored the material, even though the process to make them was long.

And boring.

"Aha!" I muttered, jumping at a suddenly dried brick, knocking it from the ground with my pick. The brick kiln, or Inta bhatta, was a square area floored by yet more mud brick. Villagers formed wet brick, leaving them to dry under summer's burning sun. I had accepted the job of grabbing the dried ones, taking them to Jyoti.

"Ekra!" Cried a child's voice, and a young girl ran at me.

"Ishwarya!" I barely got her name out before she ran into me, causing me to fall onto a block of wet mud.

"Oh! Sorry! My brakes ar-ar-" she shook her head, frowning.

"It's ok Ish," I smiled as I switched to the Hindi dialect.

Ish looked up, smirking at my odd accent. "Now I can tease you!"

"Yeah. Once you get off me," I muttered, pushing her up. I winced as I felt through my hair, mud coming off in clumps.

"Now you have an excuse to swim!" I rolled my eyes.

"When do you need one?" Ish left me, giggling as she ran into the pool. A few meters from the kiln, a beautiful shallow pool was fed from underground; shrouded from the morning sun by long reeds. I followed the little girl, watching her as she barreled into the water. Following her, I waded in, pushing my hands together at my fingertips and splashing the girl, thoroughly soaking her.

I received an enormous splash of water in return, the spray getting into my eyes. I heard giggling from the shore and ignored it, rinsing off my hair.

Finally clean, I waded to the shore then clambered out of the water. Still laughing, Ish ran off, sprinting past the fort to her home. Hiding a chuckle, I returned to my task, the girl's happiness infectious.

Lifting the small pile of dried bricks and staggering under their weight, I made my way to the fort.

"Do you need some help?"

I froze, half blind behind my pile of bricks. The voice was new, comfortably speaking in accented english, certainly not Hindi.

"I'm fine," I muttered, hiding my surprise. Despite my reassurance, I felt the weight in my arms lift as more than half of the blocks were taken from me.

Standing before me was a boy about my age. Dark black hair bordered pale skin, masking one of his sea-blue eyes. He wore a simple black shirt and dull jeans and the sheath of a sword rested on his hip.

"Where are you taking these?" He asked, easily holding the bricks.

"Umm..." I squeezed my eyes shut, remembering. "The fort. They're upgrading it."

Nodding, he looked around. Realising he had no idea where it was, I rushed forward, striding quickly to the modestly sized white fort.

Kamal, a middle-aged builder, grinned at me. "More blocks!" He cried, graciously taking the load from my hands. "And who's this?" he asked, peering at the blue-eyes stranger.

"Sicomba," he answered as he lay the mud bricks down. "My people are staying up on the hill."

"The stone circle?" I blushed as Sicomba stared at me with a raised eyebrow. "I- I used to explore the area around Royale as a child."

Kamal chuckled. "I remember that. Little kid running around the streets, never closing her mouth."

By then, I was pretty sure my face was redder than my hair. Sicomba and Kamal burst into laughter. Mumbling something about helping a farmer in Port Royale, I walked back.

When I arrived back at Royale, I remembered my oath to build some beds for citizens who lived in the hall, whether due to upgrading houses or creeper attacks.

By irritating memory, I knew there was no wool stored in the attic. I stalked over to a small house on the corner of the town, hunched against the hill that marked one edge of the settlement.

"William! I need wool!" My builder sat in his house, his eyes flickering open.

"I-I may have some, miss. Just let me check." He shuffled over to a chest, flicking it open. Finally, he triumphantly grabbed an armful of wool. I snatched it from him and walked back to the hall, placing the wool in my bag in order to climb the ladder.

Once I had obtained some planks, I make nine beds, using up all but two wool. Thanks to the in-built magic of this time, the beds became small rectangles of wood in arms. Once I placed them on the first floor, they grew into two metre long beds, the wool morphed into blankets and mattresses.

"Good to see you're actually doing something."

I turned around, only to see Robert, my deliveryman, glaring at me.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"All you ever do," he hissed, "is play with your horses and run off to other villages. You never do anything here, for us!"

The last sentence was raised, attracting attention. A couple of women walked in and froze at the door. I looked at them, silently asking for their help.

"He's right, Ekra. We've had to fend for ourselves, despite the large amount of big cats coming here for the summer. We're struggling to get enough to eat, and nightly monsters growl at our doors. You're young, I know. But your father would not have neglected us like this."

I stared at her, my shoulders shaking. I bit my lips, seeing the world mix in a haze of tears.

"I... I'm sorry" I whispered, before sprinting up to the attic and curling up on the bed.

_I miss you, father._

**Oh! Now I remember. I have a DA account, as the same name as FFN. I don't have any Fanfic related art yet, but I may :P**


	4. Blue Sails

**This is rather a small chapter; sorry guys. But I promise that the new chapter will come soon.**

**So the inspiration from this chapter came mostly from you guys' interest in the Shukun. Something I was not expecting -I gave it little thought when I wrote Fault. But many of you were asking who/what it was. And your answer will come soon. Trust me. By the time I publish this, I'll already have started the next chapter.**

The morning was chill, mist hugged the hills and forest. The rice farmers were awake already, moving between the farms and the fort, which was a rather small building with a thatch wall surrounding it.

Usually, in our culture, my wife would stay in the fort, managing our stores and money. As I didn't have a wife, the oldest woman in the village, Kaji, lived there, burdened with those duties. Therefore, I wasn't solely in charge of my village. Something I was forever grateful for.

Deciding it would be best to familiarize myself with the peoples nearby, I headed over to where Ekra lived. Brown and blonde-haired people bustled around the place, attending to their work despite the early hour.

"Are you a ghost?" The asker was a child, around ten years old in age. She had short brown hair and bright, dreamy green eyes. She studied my pale skin with curiosity, instead of the fear that would normally come with such a question.

"No, child," I answered. "I am as human as you."

"Oh," she replied, for some reason seeming disappointed. "Do you want to see the fire-head girl? Everyone always wants to see her." Assuming she was talking about Ekra, I agreed.

I soon learned the girl was quite intelligent, though dreamy and definitely.. odd. She stumbled often and mumbled about dragons as she walked, occasionally pointing out some strange fact to me.

Eventually we reached a half built structure. Wood was piled in one corner, along with some stone. A few men were hammering some stakes into the ground, creating a makeshift wall on which the true wall would be built around. I spied Ekra standing beside a tall blonde woman, her head bowed.

"Hey!" I called out, walking over to her. The girl who had lead me muttered about scrambled eggs and walked off. Ekra looked at the woman uncertainly; she muttered a few words to her. The woman nodded sternly, and turned away.

"Is that your mother?" I asked when I came within hearing, indicating the blonde woman. Ekra paled slightly and shook her head.

"My mother died when I was born." Huh. I spared a brief thought for my mother -was she even still alive?

"I don't even know where my mother is," I admitted.

Ekra opened her mouth to respond, when her name was called. "I-I have to go." She pivoted around and ran off, heading towards what looked like a farmer -he held a bag of seeds.

"At least she's finally helping us." The words were not meant for me, but I heard them. Two women stood behind me, studying Ekra. The speaker had dark brown hair, curled into a bun at the nape of her neck.

"Took her long enough," the younger woman agreed.

"Ekra's not even an adult yet. Does your village always enslave the young?" I was a lot taller than both of them, and used this effectively now. The younger looked up at me shakily, but the elder, wrinkles beginning to curl through her face, glared at me.

"That woman is the _mayor_ here, foreign boy. Her dad founded this village and she's goddam smart enough to help out now. Not once in the year that she's been in charge has she moved her arse to help us, though."

I looked over at Ekra, who was turned away from me. Empathy swelled through me. A dead father, responsibility beyond her age, how could I not emphasize? I had been in a similar position since my uncle had my father murdered.

(O}======§‹›‹›‹›‹›‹›‹›‹›‹›‹›‹›‹›

As I climbed the hill back to my village, several woman ran to me, gibbering about a boat.

"What kind!" I ordered, fearing the worse.

"Sic, it had blue sails. Whatever kind it is, it's not good." One of the calmer woman, Danshi, informed me. I studied her, bringing to mind what I knew of her. She was a widow; her husband had been murdered along with my father. Her children had been left behind. She had given up everything to escape to her. She, like everyone else, would fight to the death.

"Lead me to the boat, Danshi." She nodded, turning and walking morosely into the forest.

Just beyond an archer's range, a massive boat, the hull rising well out of the water, floated near our ship. Sails as blue as the ocean blossomed from the masts. He had found us.

I turned to the small crowd that had come with me. "Inform Kaji. Tell Kamiko to come with me to Ekra's village."

**Minor cliffhanger. I love cliffhangers. Annoys you guys. Makes me want to write more.**


	5. War Plans

**Here it is, chapter 5! You know, aside from EI, which I have currently given up on, this is the most chapters I've written! Hopefully this goes on for a while! So. Here you go.**

The town hall had been cleared, a large meeting table crammed into the main room. Makeshift seats dotted around it, almost all were being used.

Sicomba and his friend, who introduced himself as Kamiko; Aruthi and a muscled, silent man who's long nose -a common feature in Aruthi's village- was slightly bent; Jyoti and her husband, the leader of the Indian village; not to mention several strategic and fighting minded people from my own village. Sicomba had asked me to hold a meeting and I agreed, calling the others when he insisted of the urgency of the situation. So far he had not told much more than a boat of his enemy's was near, we waited in silence for an explanation.

"Come on Sic," Kamiko encouraged, elbowing him.

Sic stared at his hands, which lay on the table. He drew a deep breath and finally began to talk.

"For eons, indeed, even before the End, my people lived south of this land, in a country of our own. We were ruled by Kings, our name for his role being Shukun. We were a peaceful and prosperous people, until my grandfather died, and my uncle became Shukun."

I stared at Sicomba in amazement and awe. He was a _prince?_

"He waited until his third year of rule, when I was five, to begin his plans," he continued, not looking at any of us.

"He began forcing people into the Nether, to fight blazes and wither skeletons. The few that returned were greatly injured or driven insane from the cruel creatures in that place. Soon he had a great deal of trophies; piles of blaze rods, netherrack, soul sand, glowstone in abundance, gold nuggets and ghast tears, though none he was prouder of than three gruesome Wither skulls."

I stared at him, foreboding trickling down my spine. Soul sand and three Wither skulls were the ingredients to make a Wither King; the monster that had almost destroyed the world centuries ago.

"As you may have guessed, my uncle planned to build a Wither King." Gasps and looks of horror filled the room. Everyone had heard the legend of this beast, though few who had seen it lived. It was still alive, somewhere, for none had been able to kill it.

"How could he be so insane as to even think of such a thing?" I looked up at Sicomba as I asked this, not realizing until later that this would hurt him, his own family being called mad.

"He believed he knew a way of controlling it," Sicomba continued, sorrow and pain clear on his face.

"Did he?" I turned to Aruthi in surprise. Most of the people present were sickened by the story, but the librarian stared at Sicomba with a strange eagerness. "Did he manage to control it?"

"I did not stay to find out. My father opposed my uncle in his planning, and was murdered for his troubles. I knew I was in danger, and so I fled."

"But he followed?" the Indian chief guessed.

"Yes. Blue sails are the mark of the Shukun, of Japanese royalty. He has found my village, and he will attack this entire land."

Nodding, Cricket Hunter, Royale's only hunter, concluded "And you need our help."

"The ship is large enough for over five hundred people. Those who came with me number under thirty."

"Count Royale in," I announced, giving Carla, the woman who had taken the role of guardian, after I asked her this morning, a stern frown.

"Ekra, come with me," she ordered as she hurried out from the room. The second the town hall's doors were shut, she turned on me.

"Entering a war will in no way benefit the people of this village! Once again you are thinking only of yourself, and forgetting others live here too."

Contrary to Carla's belief, I _had _thought this through. "Five hundred people will kill Sicomba's village with ease. I know you haven't seen the grasslands, where the three villages are, from the rise where the Japanese will come. Quilla is a military village, which can be clearly seen by the large fort. Aruthi's village is quiet, not to mention distant enough that they will not see all of it. Which place do you think they will attack first? Do you really think _we _can fend of five hundred people?"

Carla stared at me, obviously trying to find something to say.

"I'm going back inside. Hopefully the other two villages with aid us." I brushed past her and entered the hall, where silence held over the meeting.

"Aruthi, Devaki, will you aid us?"

The two men looked at eachother, trying to decipher the other's decision.

"I speak for my village when I say we will stand by you Ekra, and you Sicomba. We are few, but many of us can fight." I mouthed 'thankyou' towards Aruthi, turning towards Devaki.

"You'd better have a really good plan," the chief muttered.

"I'm getting one," I almost whispered, remembering two horses trapped in a cobble enclosure.

(O}======§‹›‹›‹›‹›‹›‹›‹›‹›‹›‹›‹›

I silently thanked myself for telling Ekra how to breed this horse. The foal was almost fully grown, and pumpkins, which Ekra had piled against the enclosure's wall, would speed it's growth.

The young stallion was pitch back, gleaming in the afternoon sun. The mane was as red as fire, burning down his neck. A horn the colour of soot rose from it's head, and deep red eyes glimmered up at us, the blood-coloured tail swishing through the air. It was a formidable horse, a Nightmare.

"They're beautiful," Sicomba whispered, staring at both the foal and the parents; Xavier and Divonna. Xavier's mane was the colour of gold, contrasting brilliantly with his almost silver coat and eyes. Between his ears, a pearl-white horn stood, gold spiraling towards the point. Divonna was as white as summer clouds, the the fur of her shoulders magically merging into feathered wings, which were folded close to her body. Eyes bluer than the sea were the only colours on her body.

"If you feed redstone to a Nightmare, it will burn the ground where it stands." Having read journals of Nether explorers, who had seen the horses in their natural dimension, I knew of this, and their other attributes -an immunity to fire and heat, the ability to jump higher than most horses, and being clever enough to throw enemies into the air with it's horn.

Ekra smiled, caressing Divonna's neck. "I doubt the Shukun has the ability to muster horses across the oceans."

**More OC's are needed, I'll need a lot more characters, including people on the Shukun's side, for the next few chappies. Don't expect them to last long though. I love killing off people...**


	6. Searching for Steeds

**Hello guys! Chapter 6 is ready for you to read! *runs off***

I had nine steeds. We would need more, if we were to make the horses an advantage over the Shukun. As the afternoon waned I had -with the help of other women in my village- collected a large amount of apples and horse saddles. Both were essential in the training and taming of horses.

I had slept early, as I was unable to search for steeds in the dangerous night and I would need as long as possible to find them. Divonna too slept, for I would need to fly in order to see as much of the area and, hopefully, horses as possible.

When the sun first began to light the land, I climbed from my bed and slipped down into the first floor, where a young girl waited eagerly.

"Can I go with you? Please!" Her eyes -like emeralds hiding fire- searched mine as her face gathered a pleading look.

Smiling slightly, I turned to where the saddles and fruit had been bundled into two large sacks. "Can you carry one of these?"

Squealing with joy, the child ran at the bag holding apples, piling it in her arms and struggled to carry the heavy load.

Outside, a light brown mare stood, with a young man sitting on her back. Four large saddlebags were strapped to the steed.

The rider, named Brian, helped myself and the child pile the saddles (minimised) and apples into the bags. Then I left him, turning towards Divonna's stable. The young girl moved not a metre from me, staring in awe at the beautiful mare.

"Do you want to ride her?"

Utter excitement and joy crossed her face. "Really! I can?"

"Sure," I replied, leading Divonna into the open. She stretched her wings, neighing quietly. Vaulting onto the saddle, I helped the girl up. She muttered her name -Kestrel- when I asked, then was silent as I strapped her legs into the stirrups, a rather complex network of knots and straps, designed to keep the rider steadied when flying. Tapping the Pegasus' neck, I whispered for her to fly. Divonna was not just enchanted in body, but also mind. She understood me and recognised my voice, obeying without confusion.

She began to run forwards, gaining speed. Outspreading her wings, she leaped upwards and flew smoothly into the air. Gasping, Kestrel stared around. The buildings of Royale shrunk until we were around fifty metres in the air, able to see the entire land.

The three villages lay in a grassland, surrounded by hills, almost a shallow valley. South of Royale, forest covered the low hills, obscuring vision to a river that ran between the forest and a desert. West of Aruthi's village, the grassland continued on, wild animals, big cats and bears alongside herbivores like sheep and cows. The river continued on towards the Quilla, where it spread out in a shallow lake right beside the village, a swamp between that and the ocean. North, the grassland climbed upwards as bare hills. A ruin of an old fortress sat on the highest point, ruled over by vicious monsters of the night.

Whislt taking in the view, I scanned the open areas for horses, whether brown, chestnut, black or white. The white I searched for with earnest, the colour of Unicorns and Pegasus'.

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Ekra and a small girl, whom I assumed to be her assistant, rose into the air, relying on the wings of Divonna. Below, a packhorse followed them on the ground, trotting gently towards the ruined fortress. Turning from the steeds and riders, I viewed the Royale's miner, David Miller, carrying a large bag of what I assumed to be iron ore. Among the Japanese villagers was a blacksmith, who excelled in making weapons and armour. I knew little of the craft, but would have to hope he was talented. Even with the villages combined, there was no more than a few hundred defenders. Despite our advantages- horses, knowledge of the area and time -the invaders had not anchored near the Japanese village, instead going east, to where the Indian village lay, and the shallow lake that was perfect for a ship. Sentries of all races had been posted along the border of the swamp; hidden in trees and watching out for a blue-sailed boat.

A war was coming, as I knew very well. I could not fight any more than a child.

"Aruthi, any ideas as to what else we should do?" Sicomba had stood beside me for quite some time, watching the many people busy with their pre-battle duties with a silent sadness.

"Aside from run, no." Indeed, I doubted we would survive this. It upset me that so many deaths would be wrought simply because of one man's madness.

"The Shukun would hunt us down, were we to flee." He said this quietly, almost as a whisper. I observed Sicomba, noting the way his blue eyes constantly flickered east, searching for the blue sails. His entire body was tensed, waiting for the moment his uncle's soldiers would rise into view.

"I shall go assist with the moving of provisions. You say you are a good fighter, go help teach those that need it." Saying this, I walked off, leaving the young man to his own fear.

It was Ekra's idea to attempt to teach not just the men, but the women and older children in the art of battle. It had been met with many barriers, but she had convinced some to go and take arms. It was a reckless idea, as most women hadn't touched a weapon their whole lives, and they had little time to learn. But it gave us a few more numbers, and put us just a little closer to surviving.

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By sunset I had found and tamed a great number of horses, whom Brian had sent back to Royale to be given riders. Kestrel and I were about to search for steeds once more, when yells from the East swept towards us on the wind. Torches lighting up the already dimming sky, I watched as the few people who were still in the Quilla fled, in the wake of a large ship with large blue sails. Instantly I commanded Divonna to fly close to the ground, swooping towards our armies.

Brian and Aruthi were waiting for me, clearing an area for Divonna to land. I was handed a diamond sword, which I promptly discarded in favour of lighter iron. Donning armour fit for one who would fight on a Pegasus -thick leather on my torso and legs, an iron helmet and strong iron boots- I called forth those who had been chosen to ride the other flying horses which I had found today.

There were five, each wearing similar armour to mine. Two, I noticed with pride, were female. I briefly instructed them on tricks to riding in the air, demanding that they not do things such as pull on the mane or kick the creatures. "A Pegasus is a gentle creature, unused to cruelty. They will not respond well to it."

I turned from them as I leapt back on Divonna, instructing Kestral to stay on the ground.

"I want to fight!" She glared at me, not letting go of the saddle.

"You are too young. Shelter with the other children in Aruthi's village. I will see you soon."

"_You_ were only eleven yourself when your dad took you out at night." Understanding the impact of this blow, Kestrel walked off, merging into the crowd. I stared after her, barely seeing. Sorrow filled my body, I was drowning in it. It climbed to my throat, where it sat there, making me feel like I would vomit. Bending forward, I pressed my face into Divonna's mane, hiding my tears.

"Ekra! They're coming out of the boat!" Sicomba's voice was puffed; he sprinted to me with urgency. Understanding, I numbly ordered the other Pegasus fliers to follow me, taking Divonna into the forest, where we would not be seen. Several foot soldiers accompanied us, ensuring no mobs of the night would lower out numbers.

Perhaps fifteen minutes later, a low tone like metal striking metal resounded through the valley, and the Pegasus' spread their wings, leaping into battle.

**I promise the battle will be good. I've planned out the main points, and have a few soldier OC's. If anyone else wants to give me some, pm or review. Just throw in whatever you believe is necessary. **

**I'll see you when the next chapter is done! Bye!**


	7. The Battle Begins

**Hello all! Chapter 7- wow? I've gotten that far? I understand most of my readers prefer other stories, but The Curses of Magic is the one I am most eager to write at the moment. So, I'll update others when I want. K?**

Already the Japanese had assembled on the shore. Foot soldiers stood with leather and iron armour, the lowest of ranks easily defined by their purely leather protection, dyed with a mix of bonemeal and lapis lazuli, the colour of summer's sky. As Ekra had predicted, there were few horses and those that could be seen seemed weak and ill. Archers, dressed in thick leather and iron boots and helmets, drifted North, attempting to climb into the hills for height.

"Send a messenger to the men in the Northen hills. Tell them to kill anyone in dyed blue armour that enters the forests." The Hindi man before me, a fast runner, nodded and slipped into the crowd.

"No mercy, Sic?" Kamiko muttered this in cheerful tones; he was clearly trying to brighten my spirits.

"My uncle's soldiers would hunt us down until either they or we all perished. I cannot leave them alive." Kam knew this, but I said it anyway. He lapsed into silence, and I observed the oncoming soldiers for a moment more.

They halted before they passed fully through the empty Indian village. To the relief of many, they had let the Quilla go untouched, not raiding or destroying, as far as could be seen.

"There will be time enough for that later," I murmured, when asked why that was so.

The man thought to be commander, atop a chestnut horse, clothed in shining, _purplish_ iron armour, steered his horse ahead of his army. In his arms was a cage holding some small creature, a blur of shadow. Ceremonially he held the cage above his head and made to open it.

"Shoot him!" I screamed, and snipers nearby fumbled with their bows. Few arrows hit their mark, and those that did bounced off, flying backwards without marking the armour. Seemingly uncaring of the attack, the commander opened the cage door, freeing a large messenger bat, folded paper tied to one leg. Its long wings beat at the air, propelling it swiftly over the Japanese army and towards the ocean.

"Oh god," whispered Kamiko. Others of my own village viewed this with equal horror, though those unfamiliar to the customs of my homeland were perplexed.

"Is that a bat?" A small girl with large, bright green eyes and brown hair, two iron daggers sheathed on her hip -one on each side- shuffled up to me. Her voice was simply

curious -did she not notice the terror upon many around her?

"Messenger bats are far-fliers, used widely during invasions. They can fly from battlefield to the capital city and vice versa, calling for reinforcements and asking for orders. If this army sent a message to the Shukun and they send more soldiers, we're lost. Even if we win this battle, we cannot hold against the entire armies of Japan."

I muttered this to her, not allowing any others to hear. She had an aura of innocence around her, yet I was quite sure that even younger children would have caught the fear that almost swelled around the army, as though a flood consumed the battlefield. Somehow I summarised that she would not be fearful of such a fact.

"Ekra's always flying around, said she knows of other villages. They'll save us.

Was this true? I doubted it was, yet maybe...

"What's your name?" I whispered, bending my knees so that I was her height.

"Kestrel," she murmured. "And I could hear you when you stood at your normal height."

Standing up, slightly shocked at her harsh tone, I informed her of my idea. She immediately agreed. I watched after her as she ran off, ducking between soldiers and vanishing from sight.

"Good luck."

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Roka Hattori grinned cruelly as he kicked at his horse's flanks, pulling on the reins and turning back to his own army. The empty metal cage, though light, was awkward to carry. Once within reach of his people, he threw the cage at one soldier, who caught it and hurried to remove it from Hattori's presence.

"They will fear us, now." The general's voice was sinister. It was clear he was pleased his plan had worked; his eyes flickered to the worried faces of his foes, bringing a hesitant smile to his lips.

"Let us remove of these people who would have us dead, along with our families and all whom we fight for! Let them regret ever facing such a powerful enemy!" With a roar of violence the army answered him, sprinting forwards to meet the other army. A familiar wave of barely hidden excitement flowed up his throat; with a roar of energy he dug the spurs on his boots into his horse's sides, galloping into the battle as the sound of metal being hit resonated from before him.

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Despite being able to fly, it took us a while to reach the battle. Leaves and branches beat us down, slowing the rate in which our horses' wings could rise and fall. Once free of the trees' clutches, we rose rapidly. The yells and cries of fighting barely touched our ears. The plan had been to fly beyond the reach of arrows, before diving down to attack.

Divonna stared downwards, her eyes flickering uncertainly.

"It's ok," I whispered. "I won't let you be harmed." I stroked her neck soothingly, then paused as my stomach did a flip.

The fear of what lay before me had finally caught me. Was it possible we could survive such an onslaught?

Without thinking, I thought of my father, and hurt, loss and guilt coupled with my terror. He should have been here, preparing to attack those that threatened his village. Not me.

"Ekra!" The only other girl in of the group, whose name I believed to be Winda, called out to me. "Are we going to go down?"

"R-right. One s-second." I blushed as I stuttered, and stared into Divonna's neck as I took my bow from my quiver and strung it.

"All archers, prepare bows!" All five riders moved swiftly to my command, expertly readying themselves.

I notched an arrow, checking that my legs were properly strapped to the saddle. "Descend!"

**Heh heh heh. Tiny cliffhanger, don't worry- chapter 8 coming soon. R&R, tell me what you think and what I can change. Always welcome for more OC's. And what's Kestrel doing? (evilface)**


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